Pre-flight mantra / affirmation?

[user 3386]

Just curious what you fine fellow FJR folk say, if anything, to yourself, before -- or during the first few minutes of -- a ride. Me? It goes something like this (I've said this to myself for years, sometime after leaving the driveway but before I've traveled the first 5 miles):

"Safety, safety, safety. Remember Valeri, Alison, Rachel and yourself. (My two adult daughters, my fiancee and me.) Don't end up dead or in a hospital bed. Observe and predict. Observe and predict. What am I observing today? Cell phones. Left turns in front. 1-lane-over lane change. 2-lanes-over lane change. Inattention. Anger. Confusion. Changing minds. Stupidity. My own impatience. My own ego. Bike. Mechanicals. Gas. Speed. Law enforcement. Forgiveness. What am I predicting today? My actions, in advance, if I observe those things. #1=Avoid. #2=Brake. #3=Alert. (i.e. horn...I like the A/B/A mnemonic...I then physically rehearse "mock swerving," front+rear braking, and moving my left thumb quickly to the horn button.) Safety, safety, safety. Enjoy your ride."

Okay, your turn.

 

[tripletango]

Just curious what you fine fellow FJR folk say, if anything, to yourself, before -- or during the first few minutes of -- a ride. Me? It goes something like this (I've said this to myself for years, sometime after leaving the driveway but before I've traveled the first 5 miles):
"Safety, safety, safety. Remember Valeri, Alison, Rachel and yourself. (My two adult daughters, my fiancee and me.) Don't end up dead or in a hospital bed. Observe and predict. Observe and predict. What am I observing today? Cell phones. Left turns in front. 1-lane-over lane change. 2-lanes-over lane change. Inattention. Anger. Confusion. Changing minds. Stupidity. My own impatience. My own ego. Bike. Mechanicals. Gas. Speed. Law enforcement. Forgiveness. What am I predicting today? My actions, in advance, if I observe those things. #1=Avoid. #2=Brake. #3=Alert. (i.e. horn...I like the A/B/A mnemonic...I then physically rehearse "mock swerving," front+rear braking, and moving my left thumb quickly to the horn button.) Safety, safety, safety. Enjoy your ride."

Okay, your turn.

Me know no, me no tell,

me press button, go like hell

:yahoo:

 

[chornbe]

Mine usually goes like this.

Damn these short legs. Back it out of the garage slowly. Grr, tippy toes again. Why didn't my legs get longer over night. Off to the side. Grr... stupid short legs. Ok, ok... throttle it up, u-turn out of the driveway. There ya go. I should get a turntable for the garage floor one of these days. Stupid short legs.



I don't have any pre-ride rituals. For me, since my first day of riding, I've always had entry-speed confidence issues, so it's usually then that I'm reminding myself "it's called a sport tourer for a reason. Your speed is fine. Stay on neutral throttle. Your speed is fine."

 

[TriggerT]

Mine is usually something like:

God I hate leaving for work at 4:30 in the f'ing morning. At least there is no traffic on the roads. That means people aren't going to be looking for other cars, let a lone motorcycles. Wake up, get your head out of your ass, and get into the riding mindset.

Hopefully, I haven't gone further than the end of my driveway by the time I have gone through this mental warm up.

 

[madmike2]

Good thread!

Part of my riding ritual would be against forum guidelines "discussing religion" for myself and any companions. Part is rehearsing my loved ones and their responses at any stupidity on my part. Part is being aware of my mental state: tired, depressed, totally alert, etc. (The first step is to admit that we are not mentally "at the top of our game" every day), and exercising the self control necessary to have a great ride, setting the goal to complete it "intact". And yes, I exercise the above, out loud, during my pre-ride check and in my helmet.

 

[Bounce]

I use the T-Clock link from this page: https://www.fjr-tips.org/misc/misc.html

 

[smokeFJR06]

As I leave the driveway, I always turn, look at the house and remember my wife, daughter and pooch who are depending on me to come back in one piece. How much they depend on me and how I don't want to let them down. Prayer before climing on the pony is a must too.

My daughter who is 14 always gives me a hug before I leave on a ride and says, "Don't die!" :dribble:

 

[painman]

Good thread!
Part of my riding ritual would be against forum guidelines "discussing religion" for myself and any companions. Part is rehearsing my loved ones and their responses at any stupidity on my part. Part is being aware of my mental state: tired, depressed, totally alert, etc. (The first step is to admit that we are not mentally "at the top of our game" every day), and exercising the self control necessary to have a great ride, setting the goal to complete it "intact". And yes, I exercise the above, out loud, during my pre-ride check and in my helmet.

+1. Sometimes I don't say it out loud, but I do say it. PM. <><

 

[v65]

Riding training course ritual: FIRST (fuel, ignition, what does R stand for?, sidestand, throttle). Then its SIPDE for the rest of the ride. Always gets my mind on track. B) (Smiley inserted for my son's amusement).

 

[MikeYork5]

Geez - I just get on the bike, start it, and ride ----

 

[juniorfjr]

Mine is," thank (insert choice of religion here or not) I'm not driving today. Today is going to be a great day." Then a perma grin shows up and off I go. jr.

 

[odot]

I think of playboy bunnies giving me back rubs.

 

[kaitsdad]

Thanks to chicky191's suggestion, I take my 13 year old daughter with me - she is a constant reminder to take it easy, and return home safe.

Thanks, Chuck!

 

[warsw]

I really never thought about it much until now but I do have some strange routines I go through before each ride.

When I put on my right boot I always say to myself " Put your (Right) foot forward". This is a reminder to me to do it (the ride) the right way. Then as I start down the road I talk to by bike (I always talk to my bike as if she is my best friend) and I say, "OK lets kick back and enjoy the ride. If we hurry, the ride will only end sooner" and then were off. "Boy" now that I think about it.

"What a Weird-O" :dribble:

 

[twowheelnut]

Hmmm...

I usually just say, "Don't hold dinner for me sweetie, I'll be back when I'm back."

And she'll reply, "Well, where are you going?"

To which I inevitably respond, "I don't know, but I'll tell you all about it when I get home."

 

[Warchild]

Thanks to chicky191's suggestion, I take my 13 year old daughter with me - she is a constant reminder to take it easy, and return home safe.

I tried doing something similar once....

Waaaay back in 1997, on the way to the start of the Iron Butt Rally in Chicago, I taped a photo of my bride and our newborn son on the dash shelf of my ST1100, to serve as a "reminder" to take it easy.

I ended up removing it before even reaching the eastern side of Montana. I found myself gazing over to the photo so often, it actually became a dangerous distraction. I got to thinking how ironic (and pissed off my wife would be) if I got killed hitting a deer because I was looking at my "safety" photo instead of paying attention to the road! :blink:

So I don't really have a riding ritual.... as soon as the wheels start turning, I start the continuous scan for the next brain-dead cager, or flea-bitten furry animal, or pothole, oil spill, etc, any number of things trying to do me Badness.

 

[Cdogman]

I check my tires almost every single time I get ready to go. I am a fanatic about air pressure. I walk around my "Lil Bitch" and make sure she looks happy. Once I am moving I practice expanding my vision as mentioned in the Twist 2 book. Just for the first few minutes to make it a bit more prevelant.

Then I play a game to see how much I can notice at once and how good I am at guess what each cager is going to do. I just know each and every one of them wants to kill me. I love to ride......

 

[James Burleigh]

Another great thread on the Forum, full of wisdom :graduated: and wit :clown2: as usual ...

I figured out the reason motorcycling is called a sport is because first we suit up and then we warm up.

We suit up in the riding gear that will protect us, just like football. Then we warm up our bikes and our brains. And if we push the machine or ourselves too fast too soon there can be consequences. Serious consequences.

I discovered the need to warm up my brain when commuting home from a client site a few years ago. I could get right on the freeway within five minutes of firing up the Harley, or take back roads that got me onto the freeway in a longer amount of time. If I went straight to the freeway, I felt tentative, nervous, out of control going that fast in that thick of traffic that soon. But if I went the long way, I didn't have that feeling once on the freeway. I was warmed up, with my head in the game and my body re-acclimated to the controls. The bike was warmed up too.

As for my get-ready routine, that starts as I'm suiting up and starting to transition from a mild-mannered businessman into Motorcycle Man. Then when I straddle the bike and lift the kick stand, I compose myself: take a deep breath, do a last equipment check, and tell myself: "This is not going to be the day that changes my life." So for me it's about composing myself and changing my attitude and perspective, and not about reciting a detailed mantra. Because for me the self-composing is about bringing into play all the classes I've taken and books I've read and experience I've gained, and making them all instantly and continually present and accessible as I ride.

I talk to myself constantly while I ride too, saying things like, "Slow down. Cool it. You're fine. Focus. What's gonna jump out and bite you? Watch out for Jake Lips over there," etc. I also like to push my handlebars alternately to remind myself where my "outs" are and how to get to them, with the effect of ducking and weaving constantly like a boxer. I also like to cross over into the break-down lane occasionally when I'm in the fast lane of the freeway, just to demystify it and give myself permission to cross that line in the event of an emergency.

The most challenging time for me is my return-home commute. I'm usually mentally drained after a long day at work, and I know the car drivers are the same. And yet I know I need to dial up the concentration if I'm going to be safe. So I eat a granola bar or box of raisins to get a mental-energy boost before heading to the bike for the evening commute. I take deep breaths and focus, and just take it easy on the way home, much easier than the commute in because I know the evening commute is the most dangerous commute time for motorcyclists (70% of all rush-hour motorcycle accidents happen during the evening commute (Rush-Hour Accident Statistics).

The down side of the return commute is that, after dialing up the Brain Bulb to High for a full hour of 100% concentration at the end of a long day, by the time I get home I just mentally crash, leaving me little ability to have a conversation with my wife, who requires more than a "hm," "eh," "yep," or blech" in response to her questions about my day. Just another way the bike can detract from the relationship (but therein lies a different thread....).

Jb

 

[TheAxeman]

I must be one seriously simple sumanabitch because I just do what comes natural and get on the bike and ride...leaving all my troubles behind.